Marvel Rivals Faces Major Player Decline, Losing 85% in Less Than a Year

ALBAWABA – Marvel Rivals, a live service game by NetEase Games, has lost 85 percent of its player base on Steam, according to a report by Forbes. The game, which was released in December 2024 and initially peaked at 644,000 concurrent players in January 2025, has seen its numbers drop to about 98,000 this week.

This decline is notable considering Marvel Rivals was hailed as a major title in the gaming industry and seen as a competitor to Activision-Blizzard’s Overwatch. Despite having nearly 100,000 concurrent players, the consistent downward trend poses challenges for NetEase Games as it may struggle with production costs.

While the player count is still above many other games, constant losses could signal a shorter lifespan for Marvel Rivals in the live-service market. Experts note that the game’s trajectory resembles that of other titles, where initial popularity eventually fades over time.

For context, another popular game, Apex Legends, experienced a revival in its player base years after its release, rising from 117,000 players in 2020 to 330,000 in 2023. Players are hopeful that Marvel Rivals might see similar spikes if new content and updates are introduced.

Since launching, Marvel Rivals has also been available on platforms like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, complicating comparisons based solely on Steam. The player base has sparked diverse reactions on social media, with some users noting that around 100k concurrent players is not bad, while others argue that it reflects a troubling trend.

As the gaming industry evolves, a decrease in player engagement is often considered typical for live-service games. Gamers frequently shift their focus to new titles or follow the latest multiplayer fads.